The Trump administration is so optimistic about progress made with North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un on the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula that officials hope to hold "Round 2" of nuclear talks with the North Korean regime in New York City in September, a new report says.
According to Axios, which first reported the news, U.S. officials would only move forward with the meeting if Pyongyang provides evidence they are moving forward with denuclearization. Axios described the potential meeting as a "carrot to encourage real movement by North Korea" on denuclearization.
The meeting, which would come three months after President Donald Trump's historic Singapore summit with Kim, would coincide with the United Nations General Assembly's annual summit in New York City.
The surprising news comes just two days after NBC News reported that North Korea is ramping up its nuclear development at "secret sites" instead of shutting down its nuclear operations.
According to NBC, which spoke to U.S. officials familiar with intelligence assessments of North Korean denuclearization, the Kim regime has only stopped its missile and nuclear tests. However, no evidence exists to suggest the regime is ceasing nuclear operations or destroying its existing stockpile of nuclear weapons or nuclear-capable weapons.
"There is absolutely unequivocal evidence that they are trying to deceive the U.S.," one official claimed.
Despite concerns from experts about the legitimacy of Pyongyang's promises, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is scheduled to meet with the Kim regime this week to further encourage the country to denuclearize.
National security adviser John Bolton, who appeared on CBS' "Face the Nation" Sunday, said he wouldn't comment on U.S. intelligence but emphasized the U.S. will not be duped by the Kim regime, which has so often acted in bad faith.
"We're very well aware of North Korea's patterns of behavior over decades of negotiating with the United States. We know exactly what the risks are of them using negotiations to drag out the length of time they have to continue their nuclear chemical biological weapons programs and ballistic missiles," Bolton said.
Bolton said Pompeo will present Kim with a U.S. plan for complete Korean denuclearization within a year during his upcoming trip to North Korea. Bolton added the administration is hopeful diplomacy ends in success this time around.
"Kim Jong Un was very emphatic several times in Singapore he was different from prior regimes. Now we'll let their actions speak for themselves," he said.
President Trump told Fox News host Maria Bartiromo over the weekend that he believes Pyongyang is "very serious" about denuclearization.
